With the cost of airfare so high these days, it makes sense for families to select a vacation destination within driving distance rather than flying. And when you make that long distance road trip, you want things to do to keep the kids entertained while incorporating some family fun time. However, these days with tablets, smartphones and video players, long distance road trips don’t seem to unite families as they once did. So for your next family road trip, put the electronics away to enjoy some quality family time by playing these fun, old-school road trip games that will keep the kids involved and entertained.

License Plates Across the State book. Image courtesy of Amazon.com

1.The License Plate Game. This game is great for the kids and parents because it can be played as a group or competitively, and it teaches them about the 50 states. The goal is to see how many license plates from different states can be found and then checked off the list. Parents can print a license plate game sheet checklist for free from momsminivan.com. For younger kids, there’s a sticker book called License Plates Across the States. The book is full of mazes, puzzles, travel games, trivia, and fun license plate stickers that can be used to play the license plate game.

2. I Spy. This classic game is great because kids of almost any age can participate. Pick one person to “spy” (find) an object or color either inside or outside the car and then say the phrase “I spy with my little eye something” – and then that person provides one hint on what it could be. The players guess until someone chooses the right object. The person who guesses the clue becomes the next player to spy an object.

3. The Alphabet Game. The alphabet game is one of the best old-school road trip games because it’s a lot of fun once it gets started and can bring out players’ competitive side. Players go through the alphabet finding letters on signs, license plates, cars etc. in chronological order and compete to see who gets through the alphabet first. The rules for the game change based on who’s playing and can vary from any letter counts to the letters can only be used if it’s the first letter of a word, license plates may or may not be allowed, and the list goes on. Just make sure all players agree on the rules.

What are some of your favorite road trip games? Are they from your childhood, or did you and your family create a brand-new one everyone should play? Let us know in the comments!